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How to be Successful

December 7th, 2016

Success. It is something we all strive for. But the question is, how do you achieve success? Most people would boil it down to a simple command – work hard. And it is certainly good advice, although a bit vague. And does it really cover everything you should and could do to be successful? Hardly.

Successful people will have different things on their list of what you must do to succeed. But odds are there will be some things in common as well because they are generally recognized as important ingredients of success. Here are a few of them.

1. Make goals and ways to accomplish them.
Certainly, no one will argue that you need to make goals. But more important is how you make those goals. When you articulate your goals, you have to do it in a way that makes them specific, concrete, and time bound.

In other words, you will definitely know when you have reached your goal. For example, a goal of becoming a good piano player is not very helpful. What is good? A better goal would be something like being able to play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5.

And you also need to establish a time frame for achieving your goal.
Finally, you need to establish what steps you will take in order to achieve your goal, and they need to be specific and time bound as well.

2. Network
This is something you should do continually, not just when you are looking for work. Your network will be a valuable source of information, ideas and opinions that could help you in your career.

3. Read
Read widely and read a lot. It will increase your knowledge, make you more creative and a better thinker. It will pay benefits for your career.

4. Get a mentor
You know the old saw that you don’t know what you don’t know. That is where a mentor can help – avoiding the pitfalls and getting on the right path.

5. Learn new skills
Learning never stops. You increase your value to your employer when you learn new skills.

6. Stay healthy
Do not overlook this. It is as important as anything else on this list for success. You must – must – exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and eat healthy. Otherwise, you cannot perform at your best.